


likey lighty

by flying_dream



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Changbin is only mentioned for like two lines I am v sorry about this bub, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining, Sort of anyways lol, Take Me Out AU, They're on a dating show!!!!, idol cameos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:48:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25846096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flying_dream/pseuds/flying_dream
Summary: It starts when East Asian Soc decides to host an event to raise money for charity. Their event of choice? A miniTake Me Outnight: university style! Buy a ticket and watch sixteen single students vie for a date with one of four single men!Seungmin doesn't think much of it - until he finds out that Hyunjin has volunteered as one of the single men up for grabs. As in, his best friend Hyunjin. As in, the guy Seungmin has been in love with for two years.So he signs up.
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Lee Felix, Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin
Comments: 38
Kudos: 361





	likey lighty

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to my latest baby! i initially started writing this like five months ago for a different fandom, but it just wasn't working until i had the light bulb moment to adapt it to skz. bc i do love me some skz :)
> 
> if anyone doesn't know what 'take me out' is, it's this really cheesy dating show that used to air in the uk. basically a single man has the chance at dating one of thirty girls. he goes through a bunch of rounds at any point of which a girl has the chance to turn her light off, thereby making her ineligible for a date with the single man. at the end, he chooses a girl to date (if there are any still left) and the two of them go off to the isle of... FERNANDOS!!! more explanations if you really wanna know are [+here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Me_Out_\(British_game_show\)) with an example of round one [+here](https://youtu.be/vATwJ_KZGP0) and this bizarre compilation of what the show (and its host) are like [+here](https://youtu.be/4F70j8lswKk) (just to give you a sense of what the show is like lol).
> 
> also yes this is set in the uk and the gang are all at uni, shhh it just works (even if writing their names in western style is painful af)

**Likey Lighty**

It starts when Minho sits down in the SU with an extra corrugated cardboard cup that he carefully places just to the right of Seungmin’s laptop. He meets his curious look with an easy smile and gestures for him to take a sip. When he does and the hot chocolate tastes fine – _nice_ , even, with a warm note of cinnamon that bursts on the tongue – Seungmin closes the lid of his laptop and narrows his eyes in suspicion.

“What do you want from me?”

Minho arches a dark eyebrow. “Who says I want anything?”

“You bought me hot chocolate,” he says. “You never buy me anything. Not even when I ask you to. You always say we’re not even friends and I’m just the overgrown puppy who stalks you around campus.”

“Well am I wrong?” Minho replies, snickering into his Americano. When Seungmin rolls his eyes and moves to open his laptop again – after all, this research proposal isn’t going to write itself no matter how much he wishes it would – he hurries to halt his hand. “No wait, I’m only joking, Seungminnie. You know I like having you around.”

That, more than anything, scares the living daylights out of Seungmin. More than the potential threat of Minho sabotaging his hot chocolate, more than the fact that he even _bought_ him one in the first place. Because if there’s one thing Minho Lee refuses to do, it’s sincerely compliment Seungmin on anything. Which means that there’s no way he’s actually going to openly admit to viewing Seungmin as somewhat tolerable without something else going on.

Seungmin stares at him, aghast. “Are you possessed?”

“What? Of course not, idiot. What makes you think that?”

“Then why are you acting like we’re friends or something?” he demands.

“Because we _are_ friends?”

Okay so yes, maybe they are. Maybe Minho was one of the first friends Seungmin made at university a year ago when he was crying in the laundry room because he didn’t know how to use the washing machines in his student accommodation and Minho spotted him on his way out after a Tinder date. Maybe he even called home and happily told his mum about making a Korean friend who’s actually from Korea and not just a second generation migrant like him. Maybe they make it a point to grab lunch at least once a week every week.

But they don’t _admit to it_.

Now Seungmin might not be the sharpest tool to have ever existed in the box, but he knows when something is up. Most of the time anyways.

He narrows his eyes again and accuses, “You want something. What is it?”

Minho meets his stare for all of three seconds before he caves. Shrugging off the closest thing to affection he’ll ever express for Seungmin, he says easily, “So I don’t know if you’ve heard, but East Asian Soc is hosting a charity event in three weeks to raise money for comfort women. It’s a mini _Take Me Out_ night with the ticket money and any extra voluntary donations going to the cause.”

Seungmin has heard. He saw the Facebook announcement three days ago.

“What about it?”

“Chan has volunteered to be one of the single men. And he’s scared that no one will keep their light on for him, so he’s roped me into being one of the potential dates so that he doesn’t get embarrassed. But I don’t want to do it by myself and I’d appreciate it if you joined me.”

“Whoa, whoa, wait.”

Seungmin stops him right there. There are several things wrong with that whole sentence. First of all, he has no idea why Chan is scared that no one will keep their light on for him considering he’s, well, Christopher Bang. Literally everyone on campus loves him – and that’s not an exaggeration. East Asian Soc loves him, the music department loves him, the swimming club loves him, both the European and the Australasian societies love him. Not to mention how he’s somehow an active member in the university’s environmental club, a barista at the community café and a part time LGBTQA+ Student Officer in the SU all at the same time _while_ being a student ambassador for his course. If anything, no one is going to turn their light _off._

Second of all, and the thing that stands out to him most clearly, is:

“How am I meant to be one of the potential dates when I’m a guy? The whole point of _Take Me Out_ is that a single man tries to score a date with a single girl. And I’m gay.”

“They’re doing an even split of guys and girls,” Minho explains. “Eight guys, eight girls. Plus, the date itself doesn’t even have to be romantic. Why do you think I’ve agreed to join for Chan? You think I would ever go on a genuine date with that idiot? I’d stab myself with a fork within minutes.”

“Fair enough,” says Seungmin, even though he doesn’t quite buy it. Minho might not have ever said as such, but he’s always treated Chan a little too flirtatiously for it to be _just_ a joke. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.”

Immediately, Minho’s mouth falls into a sulky pout. “ _No_ , Seungminnie, you have to. You can’t just leave me there by myself! Aren’t you meant to be one of my friends?”

“Don’t say it out loud, someone could hear you.”

Minho glares at him. “You’re such a little shit, you know that right?”

“I’m still not doing it.”

“I’ll pay for our lunches for the next month.”

He pauses, eyeing him uncertainly. Well, that definitely does sound like an attractive offer, one any student would be dumb to turn down. But on the other hand, he doesn’t even know who the other single men are going to be. Not wanting to turn down the bribe just yet, he points this out, taking a long languid sip of his hot chocolate.

“Oh right,” says Minho. “I’m not sure who the last guy is, but one of them is that kid from your Mixed Media class from last year – Jaemin, is it? Jaemin Na? The other one is Hyunjin.”

Seungmin stills, his mouth still flooded with cinnamon and chocolate. Swallowing, he splutters, “Hyunjin as in – as in Hyunjin Hwang? As in _my_ Hyunjin?”

“As in your best friend Hyunjin, yes.”

“What the heck? He didn’t tell me anything about volunteering for this.”

“Probably because he was only cornered into agreeing this morning,” Minho says, shrugging indifferently. He gives Seungmin a look that is mostly indecipherable although what he can read is knowing to an annoying degree. “So what do you say? Are you in or not?”

“I…”

Seungmin looks down at the cardboard cup in his right hand, his fingers curling up to dig his blunt nails into the grooves of the sleeve. He runs his tongue over his teeth as if he’s still contemplating his answer when in truth, they both know he’s already made up his mind.

He sighs and relaxes his hand. “Sure. Why not?”

Minho offers a smile in return, one corner of his mouth hitched higher than the other. He looks entirely too proud of himself for swaying Seungmin’s mind when he leans over to pat Seungmin’s arm in approval.

“Good,” he says. “Because I already signed you up to it.”

“Of course you did. Dickhead.”

Seungmin met Hyunjin when they were sixteen years old. They were in the same tutorial group in sixth form and though they didn’t sit near each other in that first hour, Seungmin made sure he took the empty seat next to Hyunjin when he walked into Religious Studies later that afternoon. The college was not one that students from his secondary school favoured which meant Hyunjin was the only vaguely familiar face there and Seungmin chose to see it as the universe giving him a sign. On top of that, Hyunjin was the only other Asian kid in the room, so it only felt right to become seatmates.

By the end of the hour, they were acquaintances. By the end of the term, they were best friends.

And though it’s not something he’s ever openly admitted to anyone – not his mum, not his half-brother Wonpil or even Minho – Seungmin has more or less been in love with Hyunjin since he was seventeen.

He realised it in A2 after he sent several voice notes to Hyunjin freaking out about their A Level mock exams, each one increasingly panicked until he verged on the edge of hysteria, and Hyunjin turned up to his house at one in the morning with fried chicken and a hug. They’re not the type of best friends who are overtly affectionate whether it’s physically or otherwise, but Hyunjin pulled him into a hug all the same and Seungmin remembers –

The way his mind came to a screeching halt, the erratic whirlwind that was fast sending him spiralling into a breakdown tearing apart just like that. The solidness of Hyunjin’s arms around his waist, the splay of his fingers on Seungmin’s back. The fresh scent of the fabric softener that clung to his hoodie, the creeping warmth of his breath on the shell of Seungmin’s ear. The way their chests rose and fell in tandem and the way Seungmin’s heart spasmed in sudden realisation.

_Oh._

Oh.

So yeah, Seungmin has been in love with Hyunjin for close to two years now. He’s pretty sure Hyunjin doesn’t feel the same way. It’s just a thing that has happened.

And he knows, he _knows_ that joining this whole _Take Me Out_ event won’t change that. Won’t have Hyunjin suddenly look at him in a new light, see something new in the best friend he shares a house with and sees every day. If Hyunjin chooses him, their date will be as platonic as they come and not much different from what they usually do aside from the fact that this time they will be hanging out in the name of charity.

But apparently Seungmin is a masochist who likes putting himself in situations that will only hurt him in the long run because he signed up for the event and can’t even bring himself to regret it.

He doesn’t know why, but he doesn’t bring up the _Take Me Out_ event until eight days have passed.

If he were a more dishonest person, he might’ve blamed it on being too busy. After all, he still has to finish off the proposal for his research project on inclusive teaching for SEN students in early education. He also has three readings to get through on Marxist perspectives on education as well as a brief entry for his PPD portfolio regarding what new skills he gained from his last placement. On top of that, he also has to whip up an album for his Photography class.

(He loves art and all, but seriously, who the fuck let him talk himself into taking a joint honours degree in two of the most physically demanding courses university has to offer? This shit is _hard_.)

But Seungmin’s not a dishonest person if he can help it, so he knows being busy isn’t what has stayed his tongue. No matter how hectic life can get for the two of them – Seungmin juggling his joint degree, Hyunjin splitting his time between his English Literature units and his dance competitions – they make it a point to at least have breakfast together each day. He’s had plenty of times to mention it over their morning cup of tea, has even looked over at Hyunjin while he hunched over his bowl of oatmeal, yawning and blearily rubbing his eyes, and thought about saying something.

He just never did.

Not until Thursday evening when they make the executive decision to crash Changbin’s room to play Tekken 7 on his PS4 – shooting off a quick text to their housemate to thank him for his ever so kind hospitality – and Seungmin fails to dodge the kick that Jin Kazama aims at him. He idly watches his avatar crumple to the floor, barely registering the loud hoot Hyunjin sends down his ear.

“That’s what I _thought_ , Seungmin Kim – “

“So I heard you’ve signed up to be a ladies’ man,” Seungmin blurts, cutting his best friend’s victorious gloat short. When Hyunjin blinks at him in confusion, he elaborates, “The _Take Me Out_ event for East Asian Soc? You know, the whole ‘single man, reveal yourself!’ and all that jazz.”

Hyunjin flushes. “Oh right. That.”

“How come you didn’t tell me you were thinking of volunteering?”

Seungmin makes sure to dig his elbow into Hyunjin’s side playfully so he doesn’t seem like he’s feeling weird about it. Sure, it might be nothing but the truth, but it’s not like _Hyunjin_ needs to know that. What’s he gonna do? Admit to feeling sad and strange about the fact that Hyunjin is prepared to go on a date with someone from the society, even if it is just for charity? Sticking pins in his eyes sounds more attractive than that.

“Because I _wasn’t_ thinking of volunteering. Chan and Minho cornered me into it. They ambushed me after dance practice. Bribed me with hot chocolate and everything. How was I meant to say no to that?”

“You’re weak.”

“Um, so are you,” Hyunjin exclaims indignantly and shoves him away. “Don’t act like Minho didn’t shove some hot chocolate at you too and have you falling over yourself to be one of the single ladies. Uh – single man, even.”

“Is that what he told you?”

“We’re like the same person,” he says. “If something works with me, it works with you.”

The statement is truer than he cares to admit.

“Well, I guess you could say you’re in luck then,” says Seungmin, tossing him a teasing smile. “Because of my weakness in the face of hot chocolate, there’s no way you’re leaving that event without a date. I’ll keep my light on for you, Hyunjinnie – if only to make sure you don’t get embarrassed when everyone else inevitably turns theirs off.”

Hyunjin punches his arm. “Shut up, you don’t know that they will.”

“Don’t I?”

He paints a grimace onto his features with exaggerated brushstrokes, mouth and eyes wide, his teeth clenched together. Gasping in offence, Hyunjin responds by tackling him onto the bed and Seungmin lets out a loud laugh, fighting off his best efforts to wrestle him into a chokehold. It’s more of an act than anything else; though Seungmin likes to think he is pretty capable at holding his own, Hyunjin is much stronger than him and can probably knock him flat on his back within seconds. It’s obvious that he’s not seriously putting effort in by the way he lets his arms slip just enough to allow Seungmin to get the upper hand.

The younger flips them over until he has Hyunjin pinned beneath him, his butt planted on his sternum. Panting, he flashes a breathless smile.

“Aren’t you meant to be stronger than me or something? Fighting you is like stealing sweets from a baby.”

Hyunjin grins back at him and the sight is just – wow. It’s a painful reminder of how pretty Hyunjin is with his dark messy hair and soft eyes and the redness of his full lips, bitten at by his teeth whenever he’s nervous.

He looks like the kind of boy you bring home to meet your family. Like the kind of guy you want to wake up to every morning and do stupid domestic crap with like buying groceries or putting out the clothes to dry or testing out new recipes from YouTube. He looks like the kind of guy that Seungmin could find a home in.

“Oh, so you mean awful and heartless?” Hyunjin says, startling Seungmin out of his daze. “Like you can’t _possibly_ bear the thought of hurting me?”

“Hm, not quite what I was going for,” he replies, “but I’ll let you have it.”

He lets himself flop down just to the left of Hyunjin, their shoulders knocking together. He glances to the right, as unable to resist the urge to drink him in as he always is, only to find his best friend looking right back. Hyunjin’s eyes are warm and scrunched up with the slightest of smiles. When he realises Seungmin is meeting them with his own gaze, his mouth follows suit and lifts at the edges.

“Thanks,” he says after a moment. “For signing up, I mean. I know you were just joking around earlier, but it means a lot.”

That same odd feeling that came when Minho first mentioned that Hyunjin is doing this reappears and sits snugly at the pit of his stomach.

“Yeah,” Seungmin whispers. “I guess it does.”

East Asian Soc is known as one of the best student societies in university and rightfully so. When they host events, they go _all_ out. The full Monty, the extra mile. The committee does not know the meaning of doing things by halves. Other student societies _wish_ they could be this cool.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that _Take Me Out_ night has such a high turnout. Seungmin can hear it in the sheer volume of the chatter of students in the lecture theatre from where he stands with the other contestants in the hallway. Despite his initial trepidation, their excitement begins to slowly infect him until he’s able to meet the easy smile that Yunho Jung offers him with one of his own.

“You guys nervous?” the third year asks both Seungmin and Minho beside him.

Minho shrugs. “What’s there to be nervous about?”

Seungmin thinks of Hyunjin flicking his light off with an apologetic smile and his stomach cringes. There are many things to be nervous about.

Back in the lecture theatre, he hears the sound of someone coughing obnoxiously into a microphone. The chatter dies down and then comes the muffled voice of their presenter for the evening, East Asian Soc’s Welfare Officer and resident moodmaker, Jisung Han. In true Jisung fashion, he butters up the crowd for a real entertaining evening, cracking jokes and sliding a few witty innuendoes into his introduction. Laughter spills through the gap under the door until Seungmin hears Jisung dramatically announce that it’s time for their arrival.

The doors open and the show begins.

For someone who has been so nervous in the run-up to the event, Seungmin takes to it surprisingly well. He might not enter quite as extravagantly as Minho does – the third year dances dramatically through the door to cheers and wolf-whistles from the crowd – but he does bop his head in what he hopes is a chic manner. He smiles widely for those watching and even throws in a few jazz hands; as someone who’s watched _Take Me Out_ when growing up, he knows that the cheesier someone is, the more the audience loves it. This is his happy medium.

 _Sorry Sorry_ blasts through the lecture theatre as they make their way to their designated places. East Asian Soc’s committee has managed to get their hands on sixteen little stands, each wired up with a small bulb and switch, the contestants’ names taped onto the front of their stand. Seungmin finds himself placed in between Minho on his right and Jeongin Yang on his left.

“Hi!” the first year beams, all bright eyes and pearly teeth. “I didn’t know you were doing this too?”

Seungmin feels his stomach clench again. “Yeah,” he manages. “I was sort of… roped into it.”

“Hot chocolate is very persuasive,” Minho adds, leaning over Seungmin’s shoulder to greet Jeongin.

That’s about as much as he gets to say. There’s no time to pursue a proper conversation because the music fades out then and Jisung starts addressing the room again in his usual boisterous manner. He’s a fantastic Paddy McGuinness, Seungmin thinks distantly. It’s a shame Seungmin can’t properly enjoy the show he puts on.

His nerves from earlier return to him tenfold. He didn’t know Jeongin would be here too. If he had, he probably wouldn’t have signed up for the event at all. Now there’s no way Seungmin won’t leave this event feeling sick to his stomach and heartbroken.

Here’s the thing: Hyunjin fancies Jeongin Yang.

He hasn’t said it in as many words, but Seungmin knows his best friend and he knows Hyunjin is at the very least interested in the younger. They met in freshers’ week when Hyunjin acted as a student ambassador for Jeongin’s orientation and he’s been nothing but smitten since. If the two have seen each other in university, all Seungmin ever hears about that evening is how cute Jeongin’s smile is and how his _satoori_ sounds so cool and how Hyunjin would give him the world and oh my gosh, did you know that Jeongin dyed his hair pink on a bender and it just made him look ten thousand times more adorable, how is that even possible?

Seungmin’s not stupid. He might not be the English Literature student, but he can still read between the lines. He knows what all of this means.

Which also means Seungmin knows he won’t be leaving this room with a date with Hyunjin. Because there’s very little chance that Jeongin will turn his light off for Hyunjin and absolutely no way in hell that Hyunjin would pass up on an opportunity to ask his crush out. Which means that the only date Seungmin has in the near future is the one with a tub of Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough ice cream and his comfort film _Legally Blonde_.

Great.

“Now Minho,” says Jisung, breaking through Seungmin’s thoughts. The host swaggers over until he’s leaning on the older student’s podium, a cheeky smirk etched upon his lips. “I’m a little surprised to see you here as one of the potential dates. I could’ve sworn you had an embarrassingly large crush on me.”

Minho raises an eyebrow and leans forward until his mouth is next to Jisung’s microphone. His reply is transmitted loud and clear to the entire room. “That’s funny, Sungie. Weren’t you the one who dedicated an entire song to me in your music class last year?”

Jisung jerks away, turning red.

“Okay!” he exclaims, much to the amusement of the crowd. “Let’s not bring up my past mistakes, we all know I’ve gotten over my momentary lapse of judgement and have found someone else. Isn’t that right, baby?” He throws finger guns towards a freckled boy crouched on one of the steps towards the far end of the lecture theatre; he returns them with a wink. “Moving swiftly on! Soojin-ah, why don’t you tell us all about what you’re after tonight?”

A girl Seungmin isn’t familiar with takes the microphone and grins.

“Well, I guess the _correct_ answer would be that I’m after a man who will finally show me what love is really about. You know, someone who can be the butter to my croissant, the milk to my tea, the kimchi to my fried rice. That sort of thing…

"But the truth would be that I’m after clout. East Asian Soc, make sure you follow me on Twitter after tonight’s event! You can find me at @sundaysoojin7, I promise I’m hilarious. I expect to see you all in my notifications by the morning.”

“How dare you ruin the sanctity of this event?” Jisung asks, shaking his head in mock disappointment as he snatches back his microphone. “ _Take Me Out_ is a special place where four lucky ladies – or men, or otherwise, we don’t discriminate within these walls – have the potential to find their true love. Someone who really gets their heart racing and knows exactly how much sugar to put in their partner’s tea during the ad break when they’re watching _Corrie_ together. The kind of person you’re with for life.

“Of course, it all depends on whether that special man walks through those doors in the first place. Speaking of which, I think it’s finally time for our first single man to reveal himself. We’ve waited long enough in here. And remember everyone, no likey…”

“ _NO LIGHTY!”_

The first single man to dance through the lecture theatre doors is Jaemin Na, a fellow second year student whom Seungmin has shared a few words with in the classes they’ve shared. Out of respect for this, Seungmin keeps his light on when Jisung asks anyone if they want to turn their lights off after their first impression. (God, _Take Me Out_ might be cheesy to watch, but it’s also a hell of a demeaning show.) The same can’t be said for Yangyang Liu who all but smashes his light switch before Jisung’s sentence is even finished.

Jaemin gasps indignantly. “What? What’s so wrong with me that you couldn’t wait to turn your light off?”

“Nothing.” Yangyang shrugs. “I just don’t want to date you.”

Another gasp, this time paired with a stamp of Jaemin’s foot. “And to think I made you steak and chips just the other week! How could you do this to me? I’m never cooking for you again, you ungrateful little – “

Even if Seungmin ends up turning off his light in the second round, it’s interesting to see just how much effort the society’s committee have put into this. Just like in the original _Take Me Out_ , the second round consists of an embarrassingly-edited video of the single man describing their personality, what they do for a living (in this case, what they’re studying and hope to be) and what they’re interested in regarding a partner. Rather than televising it, however, the video is just projected onto the SMART screen at the front of the lecture theatre.

Once again true to the original show, interspliced throughout the cheesy video montage are short clips of the single man’s friends and what they have to say on the matter.

“Jaemin Na?” says one of the boys on the screen. The video labels him as Renjun Huang, a friend of Jaemin’s and a Politics student. “Nah, I wouldn’t date the guy if I were you. He’s a nasty piece of work, really. Last month, he threw away my cat’s ashes because he found the urn too ugly. I loved that little guy with all my heart, but Jaemin said his aesthetic pictures on Instagram mattered more.”

In the lecture theatre, Jaemin screeches at him to stop lying.

After this round comes his opportunity to show off a special talent for the potential love interests, For some reason, Jaemin chooses to perform an aegyo version of _Love Bomb_ by fromis_9, choreography and all. The audience loves it though, howling their approval even as they cringe. All Seungmin knows is that he’s happy he’s already turned his light off.

In the end, Jaemin chooses to have a date with Donghyuck Lee who insists on leaving with his date carrying him up the stairs bridal style. After they’ve been cheered out of the lecture theatre, there’s a bit of fumbling about and then another video projects onto the SMART screen. At first, all that appears are a pair of ratty Converses and then the camera drags up until the new couple can be seen albeit at an angle that has Seungmin’s inner photographer wince.

“That’s okay, right?” says a deep voice from behind the camera. “I think it is anyways. It should be.”

Jisung sags against Seungmin’s podium and smiles up at the screen with what can only be described as a dopey grin.

“That’s perfect, baby, you’re doing so well. He’s so talented, don’t you think? My lovely boyfriend, folks. From volunteering at dog shelters to filming interviews, what _can’t_ this man do? Six months later and I still can’t believe I’m lucky enough to date him.”

“I really don’t think this is the right time,” Seungmin points out.

He means it to be polite but it somehow comes out drier than intended. The mic picks it up and transmits it to the rest of the room who break out into laughter. Jisung doesn’t seem too bothered by this, only tosses his head back with a laugh and says it’s always the right time to talk about Felix.

He takes the hint and moves on, however, and introduces this segment as the after-interview. Jaemin and Donghyuck share why they decided to choose each other in the end, spinning an elaborate story about how Jaemin’s _Love Bomb_ performance spoke to Donghyuck’s heart and seemed to have been perfected just for him.

Though Seungmin’s laughter to this is sincere, a part of his mind can’t help but map out how Hyunjin and Jeongin will behave when it’s their time for this interview. Will Hyunjin coo over how adorable Jeongin is, pinching his cheeks and pulling him close? Will Jeongin’s beam be brighter than Seungmin has ever seen it before? How will the crowd react? More importantly, how awful will Seungmin feel?

He tries to shake himself out of it, scolding his inner thoughts for getting so carried away. This is not the time to throw a pity party for himself…. That comes later when he’s in the privacy of his room. Get it together, Seungmin Kim.

After Jaemin comes third year Moonbin who ends up choosing Eunbi Hwang as his date. In the after-interview, they reveal that they are good childhood friends and have been meaning to meet up for a while now.

Then comes Chan.

As Seungmin predicted, all sixteen lights stay on for Chan and he ends up having to scuttle back and forth across the width of the lecture theatre, turning lights off with an apologetic smile. The room fills with noise as the audience cries at him to go this way – no, go that way – no, why did you turn that light off, you would be so cute together! The entire thing has Chan falling over with laughter as he whittles down his options.

“Don’t you _dare_ ,” Minho says threateningly when Chan lingers a little too long by his podium after he managed to reach past Seungmin and Jeongin’s defences to turn their lights off. “I’m warning you, Christopher Bang, this will not end prettily for you if my light goes out.”

Chan just laughs and throws him a wink. “Well, with a promise like that on offer…”

Minho’s satisfaction when he exits the theatre hand-in-hand with Chan can be seen by everyone.

Eventually, the time comes for the final single man of the night to be revealed. Jisung invites him in with another cheesy remark and Seungmin tries very hard to keep an easy smile on his face, hoping he doesn’t look anywhere near as tense as he feels again. His stomach churns in time with the beat of TWICE’s _Fancy_ , even as he snorts out a small laugh. Of course, Hyunjin chose this as his entrance song. What else would he have used?

“Alright single man,” Jisung says once the music has died down and the room is relatively calmer. “Why don’t you introduce yourself to our row of hopefuls here and we’ll see how you get on.”

Hyunjin smiles at them. His short mullet is artfully messy under the artificial lighting and he has on his best pair of skinny jeans, the ones with rips across his thighs that reveal just enough of them to make you want to peel the jeans right back off. Not that Seungmin has thought about doing that before.

Oh, who is he even kidding? Yes, he has. Many times. Whatever, it’s not like he’ll admit it to anyone.

“Hi everyone,” Hyunjin says and the entire room seems to melt at the sound of his voice. It’s not the same vibe it was with Chan; when he trotted out, it was to raucous applause since everyone knows Chan and everyone _loves_ Chan. He’s somewhat of a campus celebrity. Hyunjin is not quite on the same level, but he is very pretty and has his name in a lot of people’s mouths for it. “I’m Hyunjin Hwang. I’m nineteen years old, a second year English Literature student and I’m really happy to be here tonight.”

His eyes linger near Seungmin and Jeongin as he says this. Seungmin shoots him a small smile, hoping to be reassuring, even as he grimaces internally. Yeah, he’s sure Hyunjin is happy to be here tonight with a date with Jeongin now on the horizon.

By the time he tunes back into the event, he’s missed Jisung prompting the contestants to deliver their first verdict – not that it matters anyway. Seungmin isn’t planning on being the one who dims his lightbulb and apparently neither are the rest of the contestants. Like Seungmin, none of the others have turned their light off, making Hyunjin the only guy aside from Chan to enter round two with a full set of lights still lit for him.

“Doing well, Hyunjin,” says Jisung, sounding impressed. He throws an arm over Hyunjin’s shoulder and they all pretend not to notice how he tiptoes to do it. “But is this luck going to hold up? Let’s see whether these lovely people are still interested in you after round two. And remember everyone, if it doesn’t turn you on… _turn it off_.”

He winks at the crowd and then the video starts to play.

Seungmin turns to watch it, interested in what will be shown. As a contestant for the show, he wasn’t approached to throw in his two cents about Hyunjin despite being his best friend, so he doesn’t know anything about what’s going to be shown.

Truth be told, it’s like the rest of the videos that have been brought out for East Asian Soc to laugh over. It’s edited with just as many cheesy transitions as the rest of them, crammed with sappy one-liners that would have any sane person turn away with a revolted groan, and the insights Changbin, Daehwi and Sanha share are delivered with peak comedic timing. But Seungmin can’t help the soft smile that springs to his lips as he watches.

Seeing Hyunjin laid out like this just drives in how lovely the boy is. He’s sweet and expressive, every emotion he feels bared to the world on his sleeve even in a short video. His eyes are large with wonder as he gushes about his dog Kkami on-camera, his shudders exaggerated and dramatic and _so entirely him_ when he speaks of what he _wouldn’t_ like to do on a date. His smile lights up the room and his laugh sounds like music to Seungmin’s ears and he’s just so, so –

Lovely. So lovely.

And Seungmin, to put it eloquently, is so fucked.

“What do I look for in a partner?” Video Hyunjin contemplates, chewing his lower lip in thought. “Someone who’s… nice. But not afraid to tease me, only I’ll know that they’re just joking because they love me. Someone I can rely on to be there for me but can also joke around with. Someone who can be my best friend.”

He is so, _so_ fucked.

By the time they get to round four, there are twelve lights still left on. Two contestants turn theirs off after round two, one of whom claims it is because they are a cat person and so just don’t see things working out with Hyunjin in the long run, and another two turn it off after round three.

“I don’t think I can look you in the eye ever again,” Soojin confesses, cheeks bright red. “Not after that performance anyways.”

‘That performance’ being Hyunjin dancing to Taemin’s _Move_ of all songs. It might’ve been a hit with everyone in the audience, but Seungmin leans closer to Soojin’s camp: he doesn’t think he’ll be able to see Hyunjin in those jeans ever again and not remember his body rolls. He might be an English Literature student, but Jesus Christ, there’s a reason Hyunjin has a shelf full of awards from dance competitions.

For at least two minutes after Hyunjin has stopped dancing, Seungmin’s cheeks are so hot he could probably fry an egg on them.

To be fair, Hyunjin doesn’t seem to be faring much better on his end. As soon as the music cuts off and the lecture theatre erupts into cheers, several wolf-whistles piercing through the air and a group of guys chanting for an encore, he buries his head in his hands as if he can’t believe he’s just done that. He re-emerges with a face that’s bright red, smiling shyly.

“It was certainly something,” Jisung agrees with an obnoxious waggle of his eyebrows. “And very effective too. Congratulations Hyunjin, you’ve just scored yourself a date tonight! Now all that’s left for you to do is narrow down your options to the two people you’re most interested in. Now go on, get out there and turn those lights off.”

Hyunjin hesitates – and then he jogs forward, his hand outstretched.

In typical _Take Me Out_ fashion, any time he gets near someone’s light, their neighbours help to cover it up, trying to chase him off with a shout. Unlike Chan, who really played it up for the crowd by teasing the contestants on whether he would turn their light off, Hyunjin is much more straightforward. With an apology on his tongue, he darts forward and flicks the switches off anyway.

Seungmin watches him, unable to keep the tension out of his shoulders. Whenever Hyunjin meets his eye, however, he offers him an encouraging smile that is returned with warmth. In the end, Hyunjin doesn’t approach Seungmin’s section at all – not for him, or for Jeongin.

“So you’ve narrowed it down to your final two,” says Jisung when Hyunjin returns to his side.

The two of them are completely oblivious to the storm in Seungmin’s stomach as it strikes him just what a blow this is really going to be. He can’t believe this is actually happening. He’s really going to have to watch Hyunjin turn his light off in favour of a date with Jeongin. His heart is going to be crushed in front of near enough a hundred people in the name of charity. God, he has never regretted accepting a hot chocolate as much as he does in that moment.

“Now Hyunjin, you’ve spent all this time trying to prove your worth to these lovely people here. Is there anything that _you_ want to ask of them now that you have the chance?”

This is the part of the show where the single man asks the last two girls a silly question and they provide a cheesy answer. Often with a bad pun thrown in to gain extra points. Seungmin has always wondered how people think them up on the spot. He wishes he thought to ask Hyunjin earlier what he was planning to ask so he could create a cool enough answer for this moment.

“Uh,” Hyunjin says, his eyes moving from between Jeongin and Seungmin and back again. “As you can probably tell, I’m a huge fan of dancing and music in general. If you could sum up what you think our relationship would be like in one song, what would it be and why?”

Jeongin answers first. “I would say _Gee_ by Girls’ Generation. Because the song makes me happy and I can’t help but dance around to it like a fool, but I don’t care how embarrassing I can get. Which is how I think you would make me feel. Plus, it’s iconic and if we were together, I know we would be.”

Once he’s done answering, he buries his head in his hands in embarrassment and the whole room coos over him as one. He’s too cute not to.

When it’s Seungmin’s turn, he hesitates. His first instinct is to say a DAY6 song because he’s nothing if not a My Day and it’s pretty on brand for him.

But what leaves his mouth is, “ _Me After You_ by Paul Kim. The lyrics, they… I think they paint a really beautiful picture, even if it’s a simple one. Waking up and living everyday life with your loved one, it’s… it’s about the mundane parts of your routine, isn’t it? And how even that can be made brighter by the presence of your partner. It might not be a song you can body-roll to, but if you really want to, we can slow dance to it instead.”

He meets Hyunjin’s eyes with a look that is more honest than he intends it to be. Then he drops his gaze, barely registering Jisung rattle off a weird fact about either Seungmin or Jeongin that he believes Hyunjin should know before he then sends Hyunjin off to choose his date.

“Turn one guy off and take one guy out,” he encourages before adding, “On a date, I mean. I should probably clarify that. I’m not asking for a murder here – unless it’s on the dance floor.”

He punctuates this with a dab that has everyone groaning.

Seungmin keeps his eyes down, not wanting to look at Hyunjin’s face when he turns his light off. Over the noise of the audience and the other contestants, he hears his best friend’s footsteps, sure and determined. He comes to a halt between Seungmin and Jeongin and reaches out a hand.

And Seungmin’s light stays on.

His head snaps up, shock flooding his system. Hyunjin meets his disbelief with a half-smile and then drops a quick wink before he spins away to return to Jisung’s side. Seungmin can only stand there and watch him go, barely registering the way the other contestants pounce on him to congratulate him with a hug.

Jeongin grins at him, arms secured around his middle. “Have fun on your date!” he exclaims, seeming nothing but sincere. “I had a feeling he’d choose you.”

_But why?_

Hyunjin has a crush on Jeongin, not him. Why wouldn’t he use this opportunity to take him out on a date? Maybe it’s in the name of charity, but a date is still a date and a good one can lead to many more. It’s not like Seungmin would be angry at him for flaking out on their agreement. Heartbroken, yes, but that wouldn’t have reached Hyunjin’s ears either.

Seungmin doesn’t know how he ends up on the other side of Jisung, but soon enough he has his hand clasped in Hyunjin’s and the two of them are being sent off towards the top end of the lecture theatre.

“Congratulations Hyunjin and Seungmin,” Jisung cries, somehow still as boisterous as he was at the start of this event. He really has been the perfect man for this role. “The two of you are now off to the Isle of…”

 _“FERNANDOS!”_ the crowd yells.

Another cheesy song sees them out of the lecture theatre, this time _Falling In Love_ by UNIQ (the Chinese version to get some more variety in since the night has been dominated by K-Pop; there's more to East Asia than South Korea, after all). When they get to the top, Felix is already holding the door open for them. It closes with a small thud, muffling the excitement inside.

Felix offers them a friendly smile, fiddling with the camera in his hands. He hoists it up towards their faces and says brightly, “Are you ready for your interview then?”

Seungmin isn’t ready for anything at this point. His mind is stuck on the still-lit light bulb on his podium downstairs and the fact that he’s holding Hyunjin’s hand. But he manages a nod anyways, trying to push past the fog that mists his mind.

“Cool,” Felix says and then drops his tone an octave for the viewers. “So then, you two. How are you feeling with the outcome today? Are you happy to have ended up together?”

Hyunjin nods, but it’s Seungmin who speaks. “Yeah,” he says, quieter than he intended. “Really happy.”

The answer has Hyunjin pivot to face him, a beam spreading across his face. Like a moth to a flame, Seungmin can’t resist the urge to move towards him too, turning to answer with his own smile. When he receives it, Hyunjin’s eyes seem to shine with all the stars in their galaxy. His hand squeezes Seungmin’s.

“Me too,” he confesses.

The two of them continue to gaze at each other softly and might’ve done so for the next few hours if not for Felix’s interruption.

“Hyunjin,” he says, calling the boy’s attention, “what made you decide to choose Seungmin in the end?”

Seungmin expects an honest answer. Something about how the two of them are best friends and how they like hanging out with each other. Or maybe a cheesy joke to fit with the theme of tonight’s event. That’d be appropriate too.

He most certainly doesn’t expect Hyunjin to shrug and say, “I mean, I’ve pretty much been in love with him since I was sixteen. I wasn’t going to date anyone else.”

Seungmin’s heart stops and his smile drops. Even Felix’s eyes blow wide behind the camera.

“What?”

Hyunjin shrugs again and meets Seungmin’s incredulous look with another smile, this one much smaller.

“You heard me,” he says and although the words are delivered with ease, there’s a tension around his eyes that betrays his nerves. He holds onto Seungmin’s hand a little tighter as if afraid he’s going to let go. “I’m in love with you. Ever since you beat me in that game of _Kahoot_ in R.S in AS and shared your Oreos with me afterwards, I knew I liked you. At first, I thought it was just a small crush that would go away, but it – it didn’t. So yeah. That’s why I chose you.”

If Seungmin thought his brain was malfunctioning earlier, it’s just broken at this point. Out of use permanently.

For what feels like ages, he just stares at Hyunjin, floundering for a response as he tries to compute the fact that Hyunjin, _his_ Hyunjin, has been in love with him for just over three years now. He thinks back to their interactions in that time to see if he can find any sign of it, but he can’t. But then again, if what Hyunjin is saying is true, they weren’t friends for very long before he realised he had a crush.

What ends up coming out of Seungmin’s mouth is embarrassing.

“I thought you had a crush on Jeongin though?”

As expressive as ever, Hyunjin’s entire body recoils in his confusion. “ _Jeongin?_ You thought I had a crush on Innie? God no, he’s like a little brother to me! And I know for a fact he thinks the same way about me. Why on earth would you think I had a crush on him?”

“Because – “ Seungmin splutters defensively, cheeks growing warm. “You always went on about how cute he is and how you just want to protect him and – “

“Yes, _protect_ him, not date him! Or kiss him! The only reason I joined this event is because Chan told me you had signed up as a contestant and I didn’t want you to end up on a date with anyone else.”

Seungmin furrows his eyebrows. “What are you on about? _I_ only joined because Minho told me that you were one of the single men.”

They both still, staring at each other incredulously. Seungmin’s mind races to connect the dots and then he realises – those rats set them up. They _tricked_ them. They knew that Seungmin would sign up if Hyunjin was involved and apparently Hyunjin would do the same in reverse. And now they’re probably patting themselves on the back while watching this all unfold inside.

Speaking of which…

Seungmin whips back around, only just remembering that they’re being filmed and that their conversation has just been broadcasted to the entirety of East Asian Soc.

Behind the camera, Felix looks enraptured. “Oh, don’t mind me,” he says when he notices Seungmin staring down the lens. “Just act like I’m not here. Holy shit, this is better than anything we could’ve expected to happen tonight. I’m so glad I signed up for this.”

“ _Felix_ ,” Hyunjin says exasperatedly.

“What? I’m just giving the people what they want.”

“Turn the camera off,” Seungmin sighs.

“But you haven’t even told him you love him back yet!”

Once again, Seungmin is left speechless. His cheeks turn bright red before he can give them permission to, exposing him to the world. This is not what he expected to happen tonight. This is not how he expected to confess to Hyunjin – not that he expected to do that at all. As far as he was concerned, he’d ride out the rest of this wave in silence.

Hyunjin squeezes his hand again. “You kinda haven’t,” he slides in.

Seungmin glares at him. “Don’t put me on the spot.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Hyunjin says, but it’s with a bright laugh that has Seungmin’s embarrassment fade away just as quickly as it surged into being. “I’ve just been waiting a long time for this.”

“Well – why didn’t you say anything then?”

“Why didn’t you?” he returns.

It’s not like Seungmin has a retort for that one. So he doesn’t bother creating a witty reply and instead looks down at their shoes, avoiding everyone’s eyes as he turns shy. He trains his focus on the tiny scuffs on the toe of Hyunjin’s right combat boot.

“I guess I never expected my feelings to be returned,” he says slowly. “And I didn’t want to risk anything changing between us if I _did_ say something, so I just… stayed quiet.”

Hyunjin reaches over with his free hand to cup Seungmin’s face, his thumb tracing the length of his cheek. “Who says all change has to be bad?”

And that sentiment, as simple as it may be, puts everything into perspective.

He’s been so caught up in this need to keep the balance between himself and Hyunjin the same, too afraid to rock the boat, that he closed his eyes to what was right in front of him. Even throughout the _Take Me Out_ event, he’s been a nervous wreck, too caught up in picturing what _could_ happen to properly enjoy it, to realise that it won’t be the end of the world if things don’t work out exactly like how he wants them to.

Now Seungmin’s not the impulsive sort, but it’s like something takes over him in that moment. Because before he knows it, he’s looking up and has launched himself into Hyunjin’s arms. The other boy yelps, stumbling back a few steps before he leans into the movement, using the momentum to swing Seungmin around with a loud laugh that he can’t help but echo. He puts him down seconds later and meets Seungmin’s wide smile with one of his own.

“Hi,” Hyunjin says.

It’s nonsensical, but somehow Seungmin knows exactly what he means by it.

So he tips his head to the side and chuckles, “Hi. Fancy seeing you here.”

“Ahh. I’d say it’s a coincidence, but I kind of joined this event just for you.”

Seungmin grins. “What a coincidence. I joined this event for _you –_ it’s why I left my light on until the end. I’ve… I’ve, uh, kinda been in love with you since I was seventeen years old.” He fiddles with the collar of Hyunjin’s shirt, still too shy to meet his eyes while baring his heart so candidly. “Sorry it’s taken me so long to do something about it, but… I’m here now so that – that should count for something, right?”

Hyunjin drops a kiss to his mouth, quick and barely there. However brief the touch is, it still has Seungmin turning as red as a fire truck.

“I’d wait for you for as long as you need,” Hyunjin says.

The love Seungmin usually feels for Hyunjin surges upwards, spilling out of him with every breath. It feels like it’s everywhere around them: splattered on the walls of the hallway, drenching the two of them in its vibrant touch, coated onto the lens of the camera. He’s tamped down on it for so long, but now it’s out in the open for everyone to see. Seungmin feels calmer than he has in a while, like a weight he forgot existed has finally lifted off his shoulders.

The two of them stare into each other’s eyes, lost in their own little world.

Then Felix mutters, “And that’s a wrap,” and the two break away to find him shutting off his camera. He meets their looks with a bright smile. “That was really cute, you guys. It’s so cool that our event actually got a couple together! I’m really happy for you two.”

“Thanks Felix,” Seungmin says, even if all the other boy did was livestream their confession to a hundred or so students. “Thanks for making it all possible.”

He waves a hand through the air, dismissing the gratitude. “Eh, it wasn’t even my idea, it was Sungie’s. He’s so clever, don’t you think? And so talented and imaginative. I don’t know how he does it all. I’m telling you, someone that perfect shouldn’t be real.”

Still muttering to himself, he packs up his equipment and heads back towards the lecture theatre. He throws the door open to the sound of excited chatter – apparently, everyone inside has _loved_ their after-interview – and to Jisung’s boisterous voice bringing the event to an end.

Seungmin looks at Hyunjin, his arms still hooked around his neck. “We’re not ever going to be as bad as those two, are we?”

Hyunjin shrugs. “I have a feeling I’ll be worse,” he admits.

Laughing, Seungmin presses an affectionate kiss to his cheek and watches in fascination as it turns pink in response. Somehow, he thinks he’ll be okay with that.

**Author's Note:**

> if you've gotten this far, thank you for reading! as always, feel free to comment bc i love talking in the comment section even if i can be a little slow sometimes. or hit up my cc, whatever works for you is chill. let me know what you thought of this :) 
> 
> [[twitter](https://twitter.com/thotforcsy)] | [[cc](https://curiouscat.me/jjasmine)]


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